Luke HendersonFebruary 11, 2020Melbourne eSports Open, Intel Extreme Masters, esports, Overwatch, Counter StrikeComment

Intel Extreme Masters is coming to Melbourne in 2020 as part of the Melbourne Esports Open

Luke HendersonFebruary 11, 2020Melbourne eSports Open, Intel Extreme Masters, esports, Overwatch, Counter StrikeComment

A few weeks back, ESL announced their content for 2020 and the Intel Extreme Masters 2020 for Sydney was absent from the list, with many people concerned the show was done and they were right. Today ESL and the Melbourne Esports Open have announced that the Intel Extreme Masters will relocation from Sydney to Melbourne and will run in August.

IEM Melbourne 2020, which takes over Rod Laver Arena, will be the Australian Masters stop as part of the ESL Pro Tour, a global tour connecting all ESL & DreamHack competitions, with an aggregated prize pool of over US$5 million. Participating teams also have the chance to win an additional US$1 million as part of the Intel Grand Slam, the prize for the first team to win four or more of the previous ESL and DreamHack Masters-level events inside a span of ten events.

“Australian Counter-Strike fans are second to none, and when we had the opportunity to bring IEM to Melbourne, to headline the Melbourne Esports Open, it was a perfect fit.” said ESL Vice President Pro Gaming Michal “CARMAC” Blicharz. “Australians have always generated atmospheres that could not be matched by anything else. Coming back for 2020 was a top priority, and the Melbourne Esports Open was a natural match. It will open Intel Extreme Masters to a broader audience and provide CS:GO fans a richer event experience" he added.

Intel® Managing Director Sales and Marketing Group, Asia Pacific and Japan Territory, Santhosh Viswanathan said, “We’re excited for IEM to headline the Melbourne Esports Open. By bringing these two events together, we’re taking what was already Australia’s biggest esports weekend in IEM and making it an even bigger spectacle for fans. We’re also looking forward to showcasing Intel’s gaming ecosystem of products that top esports leagues use to deliver a world-class experience to gamers as well as the gaming community.”

Of course, as this is part of the grander Melbourne Esports Open, expect a lot more over the weekend, last year saw the Overwatch finals, the JB HiFi Gamer Zone and more shine at the event. Entry into both events will offer a seperate ticket, for those who just want the IEM Melbourne 2020 tickets, they will see tickets start at $69 for a single day, here are the full list of prices:

Single Day $69 (Saturday)
Single Day $99 (Sunday)
Both Days $139
Premium Ticket $229
Global Elite $999

For those who want the Melbourne Esports Open, tickets are cheaper and you might still get access to IEM Melbourne 2020, as a first come, first serve unreserved general admission section of Rod Laver Arena to experience IEM Melbourne 2020. Here are the tickets for the MEO: